Wednesday Webinars Series - 26.02.25 - 04.06.25

Autism and Managing Worries

Autistic children and young people are more likely to experience anxiety than their non-autistic peers, this anxiety can also be experienced more intensely and more often than other children. Managing anxiety includes identifying anxiety triggers and recognising anxious feelings. It is also important that we develop supports for managing anxiety, this often includes relaxation techniques, use of structured environments and visual practices. Supportive practices to help your child or young person manage his or her worries can be an effective anxiety management tool. This includes techniques such as worry time and worry jars.

This training will

• Help to understand common worries experienced by autistic children
• Provide approaches to support children communicate and express their worries
• Offer increased understanding of concepts such as worry time and the use of worry jars
• Encourage how to support a child to release worries

Sensory Activity Schedules

Many autistic children and young people perceive and process sensory input in different ways, and this can lead to dysregulation, affecting attention, engagement, and emotional state. Sensory activity schedules provide sensory breaks, supporting the child or young person to regulate so that he or she is in the optimal state for learning, interaction, and participation in daily activities.

This training presentation explores the

• what,
• when and
• where of sensory activity schedules, offering suggestions on the types of activities to be included, the frequency and duration of sensory breaks and where they can be carried out. Ideas will be given for resources and activities can calm or alert children and young people, depending on individual sensory needs.

Home and school contexts will be considered

An Introduction to Gestalt Language Processing

Gestalt language processing is one of two ways to process and develop language. Analytical language processing is often thought of as the usual way develop language, using words first, then building these in to sentences. Children who use gestalt language development process language in whole "chunks" or "strings of sounds" instead of processing single words in the early stages of language development. These "chucks" are often called echolalia and are in essential part of language development for gestalt language processors. Almost all autistic children are gestalt language processors.

In this webinar, we will explore Analytical versus gestalt language development Language development in autism, including non-speaking children. Supportive practice for gestalt language processors Considerations for AAC

Personal Care

Some autistic children and young people are reluctant to engage in personal care activities due to increased anxiety. This anxiety can be caused by several factors including heightened sensitivity to the sensory input involved in the tasks, uncertainty of what is expected and difficulties in planning and sequencing the activities.

This training presentation will examine a range of personal care tasks, including

• hair washing,
• showering and
• teeth brushing.

Factors which can cause anxiety around these activities will be explained. Suggestions will be made for accommodations and strategies to support the child or young person in engaging in these self-care tasks.

Autism and Managing Worries

Autistic children and young people are more likely to experience anxiety than their non-autistic peers, this anxiety can also be experienced more intensely and more often than other children. Managing anxiety includes identifying anxiety triggers and recognising anxious feelings. It is also important that we develop supports for managing anxiety, this often includes relaxation techniques, use of structured environments and visual practices. Supportive practices to help your child or young person manage his or her worries can be an effective anxiety management tool. This includes techniques such as worry time and worry jars.

This training will

• Help to understand common worries experienced by autistic children
• Provide approaches to support children communicate and express their worries
• Offer increased understanding of concepts such as worry time and the use of worry jars
• Encourage how to support a child to release worries